When Bay Area sports legends were first written about in the Chronicle

By Greg Keraghosian

on January 12, 2019 4:00 AM

Stephen Curry (1 of 2)

A Chronicle story responded to the NCAA All-America selections with its own "all-anonymous team," of which a certain sophomore guard from Davidson was a member with his own pronunciation guide. "Although he's the top scorer on any of this week's top 25 teams, most people don't know his first name is pronounced STEFF-in," said the March 5, 2008 story.

It didn’t take long after that for Curry to be mentioned as a potential Warrior in a column by Scott Ostler on Dec. 21, 2008. He was an early fan of Curry's, but skeptical about the Warriors, who were on their way to a 29-win season with the great Baron Davis-led playoff run in the rear-view mirror.

"If the Warriors, as some suggest, are tanking in order to get a high draft pick, it will be worth it if they land Davidson's Stephen Curry," Ostler wrote. "He would be an instant NBA sensation ... once the Warriors draft him, sit him on the bench, ship him to the NBA Development League, and trade him for a 6-foot-5 small forward."

Instead, all the Warriors decided Ostler was right about Curry, kept him around and started a dynasty.

Stephen Curry (2 of 2)
It didn’t take long after...photo-2369949.188917 - |ucfirst

Joe DiMaggio (1 of 2)

Before the Yankees, before Marilyn, he was just ordinary Joe Demaggio of the semi-professional Sunset Produce team in San Francisco. His first mention in the Chronicle came May 17, 1932, when he was 17 and his name was commonly spelled wrong.

"This Joe Demaggio, fielder for the Sunset Produce team, has the majority of fans at Funston field talking about his work both at bat and in the field," the story says, referring to what is now Moscone Recreation Center in the Marina. "Demaggio has been hitting them plenty hard for the Produce men and has been quite instrumental in their eleven wins out of the last twelve games played."

A year later, when DiMaggio (pictured at center) was with the San Francisco Seals, the Chronicle set the record on the spelling of his name:

“It’s all settled now how to spell the name of Joe DiMaggio, sensational young hitter of the Seals,” reads the Seen from Press Box story on Aug. 4, 1933. “The correct spelling is DiMaggio and that was learned yesterday when (team president) Charley Graham was making arrangements to have Joe’s name engraved on the gold watch given him when he broke Jack Ness’ record for hitting in consecutive games.”

His Pacific Coast League record, by the way, was 49 consecutive games.

“Concord teen swims toward Olympic goal,” reads the May 1998 Chronicle headline about a 15-year-old student at Carondelet High. Coughlin was still six years away from fulfilling that goal, and a lot more, but in her own words, “I’ve been thinking big.”

“Coughlin proved at last month's U.S. Swimming Senior Spring Nationals that she can back any boast – though she presents her goals as matter-of-factly as if they were on a things-to-do list,” said the story.

The Cal cart and Beast Mode were years away when he was first mentioned in passing as a top high school recruit: "Oakland Tech running back Marshawn Lynch heads the list along with other area players," reads part of a Chronicle high school news roundup on April 18, 2003.

By September of that year, Lynch was the top-rated West Coast running back and was featured in a Chronicle story about how he was helping shift the focus from Oakland Tech’s basketball to its football. "Summer football combines and camps went so well for Lynch and (his cousin and teammate Virdell) Larkins that college scouts were working on their pitches immediately after the cousins' first set of drills," the story says.

Marshawn Lynch
The Cal cart and Beast Mode were years away...photo-2683223.188917 - |ucfirst

Rickey Henderson

Baseball’s stolen-base king, who grew up in Oakland, was first included in a wire sports digest on June 1, 1977: “Led by speedy Rickey Henderson, the Modesto A’s of the California League are setting a professional baseball record for stolen bases."

Henderson’s first mention by a Chronicle writer came in Art Spander’s column on March 2, 1979, when even then the A’s were subjects of stories about their attendance problems: "Of interest, possibly, is the fact Oakland will have 11 half-price Monday games (10 at night, one Labor Day afternoon). Oakland also may have a new outfielder in Rickey Henderson, an Oakland Tech grad, who hit .310 and stole 81 bases for Jersey City in 1978."

Young was mentioned as early as January 1985, after he had just left Brigham Young for the USFL.

Joe Montana was a day removed from career-threatening back surgery when the Chronicle first wrote about Young as a potential 49er. At the time he was disappointing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after signing a hefty contract and had lost his job to Steve DeBerg.

Glenn Dickey’s column on Sept. 16, 1986 calls for the 49ers to trade for Young because of his mobility and compatibility with the 49ers’ offensive scheme. Also, there was widespread doubt about whether Montana could return to his previous form.

"It’s important that the 49ers get a young quarterback Walsh can start to groom for the future, because it’s highly doubtful Montana will ever return," Dickey wrote.

The trade happened seven months later, though we heard from Montana again after all.

A common theme in the earliest mentions of Bonds is an added clause pointing out that he’s the "son of Bobby Bonds." This was also true the first time the Chronicle wrote about him, when he led Serra High to a WCAL championship in 1980.

Bonds wasn’t written about again until 1982, just before the Giants drafted him. But by the end of the year, Bonds had turned the Giants down and committed to Arizona State over a difference of $5,000 in his contract offer. In December 1982, Glenn Dickey gave a scathing critique of GM Tom Haller over this and other unsigned draft picks: "Unless the Giants drastically change the way they’re operating, they won’t draw whether they’re playing in Candlestick, a domed stadium or the Taj Mahal."

Barry Bonds
A common theme in the earliest mentions of...photo-16753080.188917 - |ucfirst

Kerri Walsh Jennings

She put beach volleyball on the map and is one of Stanford’s best volleyball players ever. But her first mention in the Chronicle came as a basketball player in the CCS title game: "Kerri Walsh scored 27 points leading Mitty of San Jose to a 61-55 win over Harbor of Santa Cruz for the girls title."

Walsh Jennings’ first mention as a volleyball player came Oct. 5, 1996, as a freshman "rising star" at Stanford.

Six years before she won the singles gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics, she was mentioned in the last paragraph of a Feb. 8, 1986 story about the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The story’s headline was about San Jose’s Debi Thomas and Sunnyvale’s Brian Boitano – who won medals at the 1988 Games.

Yamaguchi, from Hayward, was mentioned for leading in junior pairs with San Jose’s Rudy Galindo.

It may not surprise you that the first time Davis was covered by the Chronicle, as an assistant coach at USC, he had been accused of breaking rules. The Jan. 9, 1959 story is headlined, “Bitter Trojans May Axe Aides,” and includes Davis’ photo. Davis was accused of "improper inducements" to two prospective recruits.

Davis stayed with the Trojans that year before moving on. The next Chronicle story to mention him was in January 1963: "It may come as news to millions that the Oakland Raiders are also shopping for a new head coach. In San Diego, where the AFL is meeting, owner Wayne Valley admitted he had conferred with San Diego Chargers assistant Al Davis."

Al Davis
It may not surprise you that the first time Davis...photo-16754026.188917 - |ucfirst

Joe Montana (1 of 2)

The greatest quarterback in 49ers history was first mentioned in a Chronicle story about their upcoming draft, but Montana was not named as a prospect. Rather, the March 6, 1979 story by Glenn Dickey, headlined "Steve DeBerg will get help," looks at other potential backups to DeBerg. One of them was newly signed Gary Forrysteck, who, as the story, notes, lost his starting job to Montana at Notre Dame.

The story says, "Walsh will be looking for a quarterback in the draft, though it is not certain he will go for one."

The second Chronicle story to mention Montana came the day after the 49ers drafted him in the third round. But it wasn’t his name in the headline or the first three paragraphs – it was UCLA running back James Owens, who was their first pick in the second round.

"Then, ignoring the man he coached last season at Stanford, Steve Dils, (Bill) Walsh went after Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana.

Montana, as the story reflects, was hardly a slam-dunk prospect at the time: "It was seven hours after the 7 a.m. start of the draft that San Francisco was able to select Montana on the No. 27 spot in the third round. It was seven hours and one minute after the 7 a.m. start that Walsh was asked why he passed over Dils, who all last season passed the Cardinals to victories."

Joe Montana (2 of 2)
The second Chronicle story to...photo-2112394.188917 - |ucfirst

Dwight Clark

The receiving end of "The Catch" wasn’t taken until the second day of the same 1979 draft in which the 49ers chose Joe Montana. The May 5 story reads, “The 49ers, who in the tenth round went for a big wide receiver, 6-3 Dwight Clark of Clemson, to add to Thursday’s picks of runner-receiver James Owens of UCLA and quarterback Joe Montana of Notre Dame, may have picked up their passing attack of the future."

Indeed they did, although it had nothing to do with Owens: he would only start six games in two seasons with the 49ers.

By July 19, the Chronicle quoted Walsh calling Clark one of the "pleasant surprises" of training camp. "Clark, who was the other end opposite All American Jerry Butler at Clemson, has been particularly impressive," the story says.

A Nov. 7, 1986 story on the Cal women’s soccer team’s NCAA tournament run includes Chastain, who was only beginning to make a name for herself. "This year the impetus behind those victories has been forward Brandi Chastain, a freshman from San Jose who has collected 15 goals and 13 assists for a school-record 43 points. Chastain turned down a North Carolina scholarship offer explaining, 'This place just seemed too inviting.'"

Pictured: Chastain three years later, after she had transferred to Santa Clara.

Brandi Chastain
A Nov. 7, 1986 story on the Cal...photo-5548867.188917 - |ucfirst

Willie Mays

The very first time the Giants legend was mentioned in the Chronicle came when he was 19 and signed with the New York Giants after starring for the Birmingham Black Barons of the Negro Leagues (baseball had only been integrated three years earlier). The one-paragraph wire short on June 22, 1950 is headlined, "Negro Prep Ace Signs."

The first time a Chronicle writer mentioned Mays, it was a July 8, 1951 column by Art Rosenbaum explaining the irony of how Oakland Oaks player Artie Wilson once sang Mays’ praises before he joined the New York Giants, only to lose his job to him there. "From now on, Artie’ll be more careful with his recommendations," Rosenbaum wrote.

Willie Mays
The very first time the Giants legend was...photo-1901107.188917 - |ucfirst

Willie McCovey

The future Giants Hall of Famer was included in a Chronicle story that ran Oct. 15, 1958, when he was one of three minor leaguers added to the big league squad.

"McCovey, 20, born in Mobile, Ala., was the PCL All-Star first baseman with the pennant winning Phoenix Giants," the story says. "A rangy 6-4, 180-pounder, Willie would up hitting .319 in 146 games, with 14 home runs, 37 doubles and 10 triples."

A Chronicle pre-draft story on April 4, 1985 looked at the 49ers’ options at wide receiver: Coach Bill "Walsh still talks up Renaldo Nehemiah, but he’s going into year four of the experiment and still is unproven. Freddie Solomon was terrific last year, but he’s 32. Among the best in the draft: Eddie Brown, Miami-Fla.: Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley; Al Toon, Wisconsin; Chris Burkett, Jackson State."

The Chronicle’s first story after the draft on May 2 quoted Rice’s college coach, Ira Miller, saying of the pick, "Consider yourself lucky to have him."

The future Run TMC star with the Warriors got his first mention in a story about his UTEP Miners in the NCAA Tournament on March 16, 1987: "UTEP guard Tim Hardaway swiped the ball and went the length of the court for a layup and a 65-60 Miner lead."

Hardaway was first associated with the Warriors in a pre-draft story June 16, 1989, quoting a top NBA scout who "would like to see the Warriors wind up with Hardaway because they need a better point guard to get the ball to Richmond and Mullin."

Tim Hardaway
The future Run TMC star with the Warriors...photo-16009951.188917 - |ucfirst

Tom Brady

He may be the GOAT, but Brady’s Chronicle debut came as the third item in a high school sports roundup on Dec. 2, 1994.

"Although his team struggled this season, it will be hard for colleges to overlook quarterback Tom Brady at Serra High of San Mateo. … Brady’s size (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), coupled with Serra’s pro-style attack, have made him a hot commodity among college recruiters, and Brady definitely has Division I ambitions."

No mention was made of Brady’s Super Bowl-winning and supermodel-marrying ambitions. Those came later.

Tom Brady
He may be the GOAT, but Brady’s Chronicle...photo-11818391.188917 - |ucfirst

Gary Payton

Ironically, The Glove’s first time in the Chronicle was about someone else stealing a pass from him. "Gary Payton lost a pass and McDonald stole it with 14 seconds left, setting up Mouton's winning shot," reads the March 8, 1985 game story of Payton’s Skyline High (Oakland) losing to James Logan in a tournament game.

A Chronicle story in October of that year includes Payton on a list of players that "may be the best year in recent memory for Bay Area basketball recruits." That list included his teammate, Greg Foster (pictured with Payton in 1986), and Antonio Davis of McClymonds – both of whom also went to the NBA.

Gary Payton
Ironically, The Glove’s first time in the...photo-5548889.188917 - |ucfirst

Summer Sanders

The Roseville-born quadruple medalist in swimming at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics got her first Chronicle mention when her photograph appeared alongside Tom FitzGerald’s Top of the Sixth column. The Aug. 28, 1989 caption reads, "The U.S. swim team’s Summer Sanders, 16, of Roseville, saluted after an American victory in the Alamo Cup swim meet in Atlanta."

The future Hall of Famer was mentioned in the 10th paragraph of a season preview for Alameda’s St. Joseph High. "The Pilots will also need a good season from a freshman starter – aptly named 6-3 point guard Jason Kidd," said the story on Dec. 16, 1988.

Jason Kidd
The future Hall of Famer was mentioned in the...photo-16120490.188917 - |ucfirst

Bill Russell

Before he was an all-time college and NBA legend, Russell went to Oakland’s McClymond High. His first mention in the Chronicle came with USF’s freshman basketball team, in a one-paragraph game recap on Dec. 28, 1952: "A field goal in the last 25 seconds of the overtime by Center Bill Russell gave the USF freshman a 69-67 victory over Fullerton JC last night at St. Ignatius High School gym."

Russell’s name was next seen in November 1953, under the gloriously anachronistic headline, "Bay Area Cagers Take the Spotlight." The story reads, "USF’s Phil Woolpert will move Sophomore Bill Russell, also 6-9, into an almost veteran lineup and the Dons could prove the Pacific Coast’s top surpriser."

Bill Russell
Before he was an all-time college and NBA...photo-6381318.188917 - |ucfirst

Will Clark

The Thrill’s first Chronicle coverage came after he homered at Candlestick Park … as a member of the U.S. Olympic baseball team. Clark was mentioned July 10, 1984, alongside future Oakland Athletic Mark McGwire after Team USA beat Japan 8-0 in an exhibition.

"Besides McGwire, who set an NCAA single-season record with 32 home runs at USA, there is Mississippi State sophomore Will Clark, who hit a homer yesterday and hit three Friday night at Fenway Park."

Will Clark
The Thrill’s first Chronicle coverage came...photo-15564673.188917 - |ucfirst

Jonny Moseley

The future gold medalist at the 1998 Nagano Olympics got his first mention when he was 20, in a Jan. 18, 1996 story on Sierra ski resorts: "With two straight moguls victories – at Lake Placid and at Whistler – on successive weekends, Tiburon's Jonny Moseley jumped from sixth place to third place on the World Cup freestyle standings."

A Chronicle story responded to the NCAA All-America selections with its own "all-anonymous team," of which a certain sophomore guard from Davidson was a member with his own pronunciation guide. "Although he's the top scorer on any of this week's top 25 teams, most people don't know his first name is pronounced STEFF-in," said the March 5, 2008 story.